Children Without DTaP Vaccination Have Higher Risk of Whooping Cough

More than two weeks ago, we featured the twelve essential vaccines for children. Now, a new study has looked into the impact of delaying vaccination on children, and found that it increases the risk of getting whooping cough.

While this looks like a logical and obvious effect, the study discovered that some parents decide to delay the administration to their children for fear of some vaccine myths. The study’s researchers revealed that consequences should not be dismissed.

Lead study author Dr. Jason Glanz of Denver’s Kaiser Permanente Colorado Institute for Health Research shared the results of their research via JAMA Pediatrics September 9. “Children who aren’t immunized on time are at greatly increased risk for pertussis compared to kids who are vaccinated on time,” Dr. Glanz said in a news release.

The research involved 72 cases of whooping cough — medically called pertussis — recorded from 2004 to 2008, and discovered that roughly 47 percent did not complete the recommended number of doses of the DTaP vaccine. One identified reason for this remiss is delay or cancellation of the vaccine. “The best data we have suggests that the current vaccine schedule is both safe and effective… These alternative schedules may or may not be as safe, but they are certainly not as effective,” according to Dr. Glanz.

Pertussis occurs frequently but is totally preventable by complete vaccination, according to North Shore University Hospital infectious diseases specialist Dr. Bruce Hirsch. “It causes a miserable long-lasting cough in adults, and it can be prevented with a well-tolerated vaccine,” Dr. Hirsch added.